“Me neither.” He forced his hands to stay by his side. Swallowed his call to stop her from walking out the door. This was the way it had to be.
Chapter Fifteen
Riley leaned over thebutcher-block countertop, calligraphy pen poised over a place card, waiting for Kenzie to spell out another name. They were seated across from each other on the tall stools bordering the breakfast bar.
Creating the place cards for her sister’s wedding reception should be a distraction, but Kenzie wanted to write them all up, in order to seat all the right people by all the other right people. Every time there was a lull while Kenzie searched for the next name, Riley’s thoughts took over again, dragging her into the frustration and lack of answers that had tormented her since Zane forced her out of his life a few days ago.
Kenzie gave her the next name, and Riley let the letters flow in black script across the card. She blew on the ink for a few seconds, to make sure it dried, and then handed it over.
“You’re quiet tonight.” Kenzie’s attention never left her list of guest names.
“I guess.” Riley didn’t want to talk about it. Rather, the person she wanted to talk about it with was the source of her angst. Sheknewhe didn’t want to bring their friendship to an end, hated the idea as much as she did, and yet he let his past torment him into thinking he didn’t have a choice. Except, every time she honed in on the thought, doubt told her she read the situation wrong. Again. Like she had with every other guy she knew, but with Zane, the consequences were more serious. It wasn’t as simple as a broken heart. His hurt ran deeper.
“No, Stephen with aph.” Kenzie placed a hand over Riley’s and pulled the misspelled card away.
“Sorry.” Riley sighed and grabbed another piece of decorated stock to write on. She’d lost count of how many times she screwed up that night. She was positive Kenzie knew the exact number, but her sister was kind enough not to call her on it.
Riley should make another effort to make this right with Zane. Make it clear she was taking the sex off the table, and was there for him. But if he pushed her away another time, how manynos would it take for her to get the hint?
“Okay. Just stop.” Kenzie plucked the pen from her hand and capped it. “Stephen also doesn’t have a Z. Or an A. Though at least you got the N and E right.”
Heat flooded Riley’s cheeks. She hadn’t quite written Zane’s name; it was some sort of bizarre hybrid of jumbled letters. “Sorry.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Kenzie studied her, concern heavy in her face.
Yes. “I’ll be fine.”
Kenzie shook her head. “Sure.” She slid another card across the counter. “Keep in mind I only picked up so many of these things.”
“I get it. Stephen then?”
“No. I want him sitting somewhere else.” Kenzie paused longer than she should have. “Archer Yates.”
Riley’s hand froze around the pen, gripping it until her knuckles ached, but unable to let go. “You did that on purpose.”
Kenzie stared back, her face an impassive mask. “You think I’d put my entire reception in disarray, to squeeze information out of you that you don’t want to give me? He’s Jen’s plus one. I want them at this table.”